The Filling Fill-In: What Your Teeth Need to Know
The prospect of needing a filling can be scary, and sometimes incredibly painful, depending on how your natural teeth became damaged. Tooth decay or physical injury can leave you counting down the days until your filling appointment, but it’s important to know the filling basics, such as ‘how long do fillings last?’. Here, we’ll cover the types of fillings you can expect, and how best to look after them.
The 4 Main Types of Filling
Silver Amalgam
These are generally the most popular type of filling. The silver amalgam contains not just silver, but a veritable cocktail of minerals, including tin, copper, zinc and mercury. These fillings are long-lasting, chemically inactive, and less pricey than other options. They’re also easier for dentists to use, thanks to the malleability offered by the metal. The sturdy choice and construction allows these fillings to last for around 12 years. With these fillings, broken teeth don’t need to break the bank.
However, one drawback of silver amalgam is the filling remains, well, shiny. If you’re a teenager already struggling to make friends, then this can be a bad choice for a visible tooth. This filling type is also susceptible to temperature changes, meaning it can contract and expand a lot throughout the day. This can create a gap between the filling and the gum, ushering in food and bacteria.
Composite
Whereas amalgam is made of metals, composite fillings are a mix of plastic and resin. Whilst the mixture is soft, it is molded to the tooth, then hardened with a bright UV light. This is great for color matching to the teeth already in your mouth. This does come with a catch, however – composites last from 5 to 10 years, so it’s best to consider whether your lifestyle and budget would be a good fit.
Ceramic
Ceramic fillings are crafted from porcelain material. They cost more than the previous tooth (sorry, two) options, though offer fantastic durability and are naturally stain-resistant. They also closely match the color of natural teeth. However, ceramics are only suitable for large cavities, because the material is more brittle than others. Sometimes, the dentist can enlarge the cavity size to make it suitable for a ceramic filling.
Glass Ionomer
The latest type of filling, this is made from a mixture of acrylic plastic and glass. It’s generally better suited for children whose teeth are still forming, but these also release fluoride into the adjacent tooth. This helps prevent it from additional decay. However, glass ionomers are far weaker than other material types and only last a few years. Glass ionomer is similarly artificial looking.
How to care for your fillings
Regardless of which filling type you end up with, it’s vital to look after them. Treat your filling like you would a normal tooth – don’t be shy when brushing or flossing. Brush twice a day at least, using fluoridated toothpaste, floss – and add some mouthwash in there too, if you fancy. Though fillings prevent cavities becoming larger, they are not invincible. You’ll need to clean and care for them meticulously, making sure to protect against any further decay.
Eating a balanced diet can ease the pressure on your dental health significantly. Though everything seems to have sugar in this day and age, do your best to limit sugary food and drink. Sugar is one of the leading causes of tooth decay thanks to the fact that – when bacteria in your mouth break sugar down – they create an acid. This breaks down teeth and fillings alike.
Look at limiting how much hard food you eat. Solid objects such as hard candies and ice cubes place far more strain on your teeth than softer food. Regularly chewing on hard foodstuff can even cause your filling to crack or fall out. This also means you’ll need to stop biting on pens, fingernails or straws.
Make sure to schedule regular cleanings and checkups.. Routine exams are vital to keeping an eye on the health of your entire mouth, fillings included. There’s nothing worse than waiting until something goes wrong, only to find out that you can’t get an appointment until next week. Checkups give your dentist a chance to assess your filling health before any problems pop up.
Finally, make sure to call your dentist as soon as any issues crop up. If your filling cracks, leaks or breaks, ring them as soon as possible.
